Insanewelshangel: Sorry for the late update. My exams are nearly over thankfully, but I have more after Christmas, bummer. Any who thanks for the reviews! And to all who read this.
Disclaimer: Beyblade © Aoki Takao. But fic idea and plot © me! Lol
Rei had been hoping to catch Kai without his shield for many days now. But the bluenette never showed any full on emotions. He smirked, showed amusement and harshness. It was quite strange to think so but the Chinese thought it was even quieter with Kai in his house then it was before the enigma moved in. other the past few days he thought he was getting to know Kai, then the red eyed male would do something to completely through Rei off and change his opinion and outlook on him.
It was so infuriating! But so tempting at the same time, the sweet little threat of a secret smile hidden on the bluenette's lips where never far from his grasp. But every time the neko-jin went to clasp onto the real person beneath the shadows, they would suddenly disappear from sight. He found himself staring, sometimes, at the Russian. Longing but calculating as he gazed with his golden orbs. Kai was a masterpiece, his mind was a manifesto. Not even the most challenging labyrinth could compare to the many tunnels and dead ends of Kai Hiwatari. The ebony haired youth took time to analyse him.
The way he sat. His clothes would slightly ripple against the smooth skin it concealed beneath and against the firm muscles they hid. He would quickly sweep his crimson orbs over the seat, closing his eyes and sitting down after he approved of it. He was graceful and had rapid yet slow movements. If that made any sense, Kai did things at whatever speed he wanted, but still made it look like he couldn't care less. Rei was trying not to believe that Kai never did care, he wanted to unveil the mystery, not consume the lies that lay around Kai's appearance. He sat up straight yet relaxed. Eyes closed, legs and arms crossed and in his safe cocoon already.
The way he walked. That seduction under his determined movements that would appear almost lazy. Gracefulness was a burden he had to endure. Hips swayed slightly in an enchanting call. Once against his garments would move with their wearer, he was able to make even the cheapest thing look good. Though, Rei thought, nothing could compare to the beauty of the bluenette. He wondered if Kai did that on purpose, that he made every action powerful and sensual just to tease others, just to show he was better. But he knew that Kai hated that kind of attention…or any attention at all. His crimson orbs would snap open and an accusing 'spare-me-your-patheticness' glare would be sent to the watcher, which was commonly Rei. He had got used to the glares by now, in fact they just added to the appeal. How Kai could say so much whilst saying nothing at all.
That's what Rei would watch the most. Kai's movements, to try and figure out any ulterior motives. He had found at least, some little quirks to the cold character. When slightly tired or uninterested to an extent where he showed emotion, the bluenette would lightly run a hand through his hair. When amused or challenging he would raise an eyebrow and when more amused a lazy sort of half smile flitted across his features. Also when he was anxious he would bite his bottom lip and keep his eyes downcast.
What did go on in that mind? Rei trusted him for some reason, he felt safe yet knew there was something exciting and unpredictable around the corner. For all he knew, the bluenette could be a killer, a thief, anything. Yet he welcomed Kai with open arms. He was on the neko-jin's mind most of the time, he would be left wondering about Kai when he wasn't there. He found himself dreaming about him at night, which occurred more then once. Rei would be sitting down, reading and curled up in his chair when Kai would stalk in, arrogant and sexy as always. Rei would flicker his golden eyes up and smile to himself. Kai would notice and pull Rei to him. The neko-jin would blush immensely, closing his orbs softly as he felt the bluenette's lips press against his own. But that was just his dream, it never really happened, the only time had touched him was when they brush past each other or when he'd catch the neko whenever he fell. Which was often.
"Figured me out yet?"
Rei looked up from his book and smiled at the daily question. The bluenette didn't take any notice of the smile as he was sitting in his usual pose; arms and legs crossed with his eyes closed. "Not yet," he winked emphasising the yet "But I will"
"Hn"
Rei rolled his eyes and closed his book "Favourite word or something?"
"Not a word"
The ebony haired boy sweat dropped. Damn, he should know to be more specific by know or he'd just be made a fool of. "Alright, oh master of sarcasm. Is that your favourite sound?"
"No"
"Then what is?"
"The sound of you shutting up"
"……………" Rei gave a soft glare as Kai opened his eyes. He could see a hint of amusement in the rich red depths so he just smiled cheerfully and shook his head, getting up to walk into the kitchen. As he walked past the bluenette he let his eyes sweep modestly over the elder, turning his head he looked back to the kitchen door when he felt a hand wrap around his wrist and he was pulled back against a warm body. Kai had stood up and was standing behind the neko-jin. Blushing from their close proximity, Rei turned to look at him.
Kai kept his face emotionless and leant forward, closer to the tiger. Rei felt his breathing became shallow and his face heat up more. "I intend to figure you out as well"
"What?" The Chinese stuttered, he was so close; he could feel the well-defined muscles underneath the phoenix's garments and the heat he radiated. His golden orbs looked at Kai's lips quickly and back up to the amused stare he was receiving.
"You heard"
"What do you mean by it?"
"Figure it out, you're supposed to enjoy mystery's"
With that Rei's wrist was freed of the grip and the neko-jin walked rather quickly into the kitchen and placed his slightly shaking body down on a seat. Letting out a trembling sigh Rei held his head in his hands. 'We were so close; I shouldn't let myself get affected by him. What did he mean by figure me out anyway?'
Don't misunderstand him, he loved Kai's company, he wanted the bluenette to be around him. Rei would gaze at the faceless pages of his books; Kai was a much deeper enigma then the ones exposed in any of them. Did he have family? Friends? A lover, perhaps? What lay behind those crimson eyes? What were they hiding, was it a painful memory, lost dreams, darkness? Why did he wander the streets? Why was he attacked? Millions of questions would whirl around the neko-jin's head until he felt nauseated from them.
Kai looked at his wound and nodded to himself that it was repairing well. Before, he wished that he was killed. That he could fully shred the fake and dark person that he was. It was like he didn't know how to do normal things, like laugh, cry or even give a genuine smile. Love was the fairytale, the happy ever after ending. He would never have a happy ending; he would be trapped in the dark tower forevermore. Gazing out of a broken window whilst the spiders slowly covered his abode with their silken poetry. The sun would shine, out of his reach, like a fire had spread across the sky as golden beams flew through the clouds and painted the sullen scenery beneath. The rain would hit the dirty windowpanes so it looked like black tears. Some would land in the obsolete room, and drown the bluenette in its dreary depression.
Oh countless knights in their bright heroic armour would battle for him. They'd leap about and charge at the dragon with their gleaming swords on their ferocious stallions. But every single one of them failed. They were fake as well. With their flashy smiles, their sharp weapons and sparkling-to-perfection armour. As the blood would be spilt around him, Kai slowly learnt not to care. Another drop of blood spent at his expense. Fools. He told them not to try and save him, he wanted to be like this. He'd been like it for so long he didn't know how to be any different. Why must everyone try to be heroes these days? Don't they know happily-ever-after and long-time-ago only existed in bittersweet daydreams and pretty little books? Saviours were not real, not to him at least. So everyday, the blood would grow more, the rich and royal red would fade into a rusty shade. The one majestic weapons would dull and lose their sparkle. Kai would look on, bored and faithless. Asking why everyone wanted to save him.
Of course, he knew why. Oh it was because he was attractive, handsome, and beautiful. He was no one's to hold dear and no one's to smile at. He was a pretty little thing. A perfect picturesque figure to have hanging off their arms. He didn't want that. He never asked to be saved. So many died for him until he cried their red liquid from his soulless eyes. After that he would learn never to cry again.
He used to adore fairytales when he was younger, playing with his friend as he pretended to be the knight-in-shining-armour. Kai used to love it. He didn't like fairytales as much now. He didn't want a hero, he wanted someone to understand, and he wanted some one who didn't see him as a possession. Didn't think that just because they banished the beast and conquered the fortress that they had the right to sweep him off his feet. He'd rather walk and stretch his legs. They would never assume that just because they saved him that he had to fall madly in love with them in return. He wanted someone curious and with a hidden light. Someone who understood but never understood him at the same time. Someone who wouldn't sigh and roll their eyes if he went cynical, but try to figure out what he meant. Someone who, if they saw him crying, would cry along with him. For no reason other then to help him through.
"Kai" a gentle voice came, with questions laced into the softly spoken words. The stoic male raised his head, having stared at his hand for some time. Rei sat beside him and passed him a book.
Seeing no response, Rei assumed there was a question wanting to be asked but Kai wouldn't ask it. "It's a book" Receiving a flat look, Rei smiled "Obviously, but I think you'd like it"
"Genre?"
"Fantasy, it's like a fairytale"
Kai raised an eyebrow; the cover was certainly not that of a fairytale. It was one that looked like it belonged in the bin, scratches and the spine weak; it was fragile to even hold. But he knew not to judge a book by its cover.
"I thought that you might appreciate the cover" Rei looked from the book to the elder "It's fragile, but mysterious. It doesn't make it self fake by cheer and shiny things" He smiled.
"You're saying that I'd appreciate the book because it looks like trash?"
Rei grinned cheekily at the hint of amusement he found in the rich orbs. "Of course not, you don't look like you belong in the trash"
"Then where do I belong?"
Rei was startled at the question, which was asked so slovenly "Where do you belong? I can't really say. You belong no where but where you want to be"
The silence erupted again and the ebony haired youth felt subordinate. He was nervous, as the silence wasn't one he would welcome. Kai actually wanted a proper answer for that question. "Kai. Well, I'll tell you where I've imagined you belonging. I've seen you in a forest, sitting by a lake and staring out into nothing. The wind would whip around you and leaves would float like feathers. But you'd still stay where you are, unaffected. I've seen you in front of a fire. That's all I could see. You and a fire in front of you. Your tending to the embers almost affectionally, your eyes burning with emotion as you loose your self in the bright flames."
Kai was deathly silent, staring at the flawed book.
"I've seen you by the sea, I've seen you lost in the clouds, I've seen you everywhere. But mostly…. I've seen you here. Because…. I don't think you've ever had a proper home before and-"
"That is none of your business"
"Kai? Let me finish" He smiled at the silence before continuing, "I don't know what's happened to you. I don't know why you are the way you are. I don't know when the Tsar Nicholas II abdicated from the throne but what I do know, is that…. that if you wanted to…you could belong here"
"10th March 1917"
"Huh?" Was the neko's intellectual reply
"He abdicated on the 10th March 1917"
"Oh!" Rei smiled and brought a magazine out of a rack "Thanks" He turned a few of the glossy pages and got a pen "It's the only thing left in the crossword" He jotted 'march' down before looking up and seeing a lazy smirk on the bluenette's lips. "So what do you say?"
The Russian looked down and opened the book, sliding his hand over the yellowed pages and reading the first few words "A long time ago, in a land far away. There lived one person who was seen as perfect, beautiful and secretive. Trapped within a building by obscured darkness. Defeat would wallow at that person's feet as they casted another black rose through the tarnished window, watching it as it landed in the shadowed water beneath. 'One day, my prince will come' it was a lie."
Looking up, he tilted his head slightly at the Chinese who laughed in response "Knew it would interest you. Listen Kai, I want to help you, I want to-"
"Rescue me. That's what you want to do"
"Nope" A fang slipped over the soft lips as Rei gazed at him "I want to know you, but I want you to rescue yourself. Why are you so cynical? What's happened?…None of my business I know. But can you at least tell me if you have family? Or your last name even?"
What Kai said next striked horror into the golden heart beating inside of Rei's chest and casted a shadow over the bright day. "Hiwatari"
"You're a Hiwatari!" The ebony haired male shrieked, mouth open in astonishment.
Kai gritted his teeth and made to storm out of the room, but Rei shot up and held onto his arm "Get off!"
"Wait! Please…I…Why didn't you say?"
"Why do you think!" Kai hissed, attempting to shake Rei's hand off.
"No! Stop running Kai" Crimson eyes stared into golden ones "Yeah, I figured part of you out. You run when things get too hard in a way that you can't fix. In other words, your emotions. You run from them."
"You don't know anything about me!"
"Shh" The neko-jin moved a hand up to cup one of the bluenette's cheeks, running a thumb along the smooth skin. "It's ok, Kai. I do it as well sometimes"
"I'm a Hiwatari, why do you still care?"
"Because, I sense something different and unique about you, you're not like him"
Kai remained silent; eyebrows furrowed and scowl on his face. He wanted to hit Rei's hand away, he wanted to shut out the neko-jin and block the light that Rei was. But another part of him wanted to embrace the light. He was confused as to what to do.
Rei was still running his hand along Kai's skin, in comforting gesture. Hiwatari was not a liked name. Voltaire, who had died around two months ago, did many vile and treacherous things. They were family known for wealth and power and also their cruelty. Rei didn't know if Kai's parents were like that, but Hiwatari was a vindictive name to hold. Then why was Kai living on the streets? Why wasn't he living in some mansion and why was so unlike how people assumed him to be?
"Trust you" Rei murmured, feeling exhausted as he buried his head in Kai's chest "I figure one mystery about you out and you create another for me"
Kai blinked in slight shock. His mouth partly open and arms by his sides. Was Rei like everyone else and only lusted after him? People had been kind and generous before but none so like the Chinese, could Kai trust him. Or would he just be betrayed and heartbroken? But…he was so different to the others. The neko-jin, quite forgetting where he was, closed his eyes and snuggled closer to the warmth. The Russian frowned and placed his hands on the smaller boy's shoulders and pushed him back gently.
Golden orbs snapped open in surprise "Oh! Oh…I'm sorry Kai, I felt sleepy and you were warm and…just sorry"
"Hn"
Taking that as a 'Your forgiven' Rei grinned and shrugged "So you're Kai Hiwatari. It doesn't matter, I still trust you, even after what your grandfather did-"
"Don't call him my grandfather! He's nothing but a name" His crimson depths flashed with anger and settled into steely resentment. The neko-jin dropped the subject, knowing he had got his message across and that Kai didn't want to discuss it any further.
XPXPXPXP
What was it about him?
Was it the smile that never appeared?
Was it the way he was unaffected about most things?
Was it the way his eyes concealed so many memories?
Or was it just the way he was meant to be?
Rei sighed. He was drawn to the dark youth. He knew that from day one. Whenever he persuaded Kai to let him change his bandages, it would be adopted with a healthy blush and an annoyed Russian. He always waited until Rei had finished but the Chinese could tell that the phoenix was getting aggravated. He also knew he was attracted to him. His neko side kicked in and he would sometimes flirt like mad, full of confidence. Infuriated that Kai would ignore him. He thought Rei was acting just like the others, little did he know that it was something neko-jin's did when infatuated with someone they cared about.
It was happening now, the ebony haired boys eyes were focused on the bluenette, fixed on him and his every move. Rei would move his head to the side in interest with a small smile on his face. Looking from under his eyelids, it was one of those times he forgot that he was a sweet innocent Chinese male, instead he was full of confidence. Kai noticed the small lapses in Rei's personality after a while. But he really couldn't care, especially since he was reading the book Rei had borrowed him. Luckily, cats have patience when it comes to watching something. So Rei didn't get frustrated. He was lightly biting on one of his finger nails as Kai read.
The bluenette looked up at the neko-jin and smirked, shaking his head and going back to his book. Rei sighed and got up, his neko wearing off, but as he walking gracefully past Kai his heightened senses caught the bluenette's sensual aroma and Rei stopped in his tracks. Breathing deeply he turned around and looked down at the Russian. Did he just smell…lust?
The neko-jin shook his head and got the mail from the letterbox before sitting back down. He flickered an interested look at Kai and smiled. The corners of the bluenette's lips were, just slightly raised at the corners. Rei bit his bottom lip and grinned even more. "So you have a secret smile?"
"What?"
"You have a secret smile"
"It must be secret if I don't even know about it" The words were spoken emotionlessly but the amusement was shown by the risen eyebrow.
"Kai…do….do you trust me?"
The Russian frowned and didn't answer; he looked at a page in the book but wasn't reading it. He was thinking. The ebony haired boy fidgeted, why did he have to ask such demanding questions at random? He shouldn't have asked that, it was wrong of him. Even though he didn't know what, but the bluenette had problems with trust after all he did say trust is nothing but a word.
"What is trust?"
Rei stared at him, contemplating the answer "Well, it's something you feel…"
"But how do we know that the person who named that feeling was feeling the same thing? For all we know what he named trust is actually something different."
"Uh…" He currently couldn't believe the length of the sentence the bluenette had just said. Even when he did speak it wasn't for long, but it was always important. "I don't know, we just have to tru-"
Kai smirked.
"Trust him" Rei finished, laughing to himself. "Kai…trust is a feeling where you…well you feel towards a person or thing that you'd be able to depend on…. like if you went away and left your pet behind, you'd know it would be safe because you left it with someone you trust…it's hard to explain"
"The most innocent things in this world are hard to explain"
Rei smiled "You sure know some deep things"
"Not deep, just truth"
Rei smiled even more "You are such a mystery"
Kai stayed silent, closing the book thoughtfully and looking towards Rei. "Rei?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you know what the phrase black plastic wings means?"
"Yes. Black for darkness and difference, plastic for fake and wings as a symbol of flying free. Why?"
"……." Kai bit his bottom lip and looked at the floor, Rei knew he was anxious and scooted closer.
"You can tell me if you want Kai, I'm not going to force you," He stated soothingly 'Even though I am dying to know!'
"Did you by any chance see my back when you healed me?"
"Not really I was too concentrated on-" The neko-jin stopped himself from saying your chest "The bandaging"
Kai paused before taking his long sleeved jacket off and pulled his top off underneath it. Rei blushed various shades of pink and red. Kai rolled his eyes with half a smirk and turned around. Rei, who was currently using his willpower not to drool, looking at his back and had to resist licking his lips at the sight. He gasped, however, when he caught sight of two black tattoos that were designed like wings on his back. Stopping about half way down his back and starting on his shoulder blades. There was Japanese lettering in-between the wings travelling down Kai's spine. Rei hissed and bit his bottom lip that must have hurt like hell. He gingerly reached out a hand and traced the lettering with his fingers. Using his other hand to gentle massage Kai's left shoulder. Kai resisted a shiver. The neko-jin blinked away some tears before asking in a quaky voice "Who?"
"Voltaire"
"Why?"
"………….."
The ebony haired boy sighed; he thought he was getting somewhere too.
"I honestly don't know why" Kai muttered. Rei lowered his eyes before wrapping his arms around the elder from behind. Kai froze at the touch.
"Shh, its ok Kai." He nuzzled the area between the Russian's shoulder blades and hugged him closer, wanting to somehow take some of Kai's pain away. The two toned bluenette didn't know what to do again. Hesitantly he relaxed his shoulders and turned his head to the side. Rei had his golden depths shut, his cheek resting against Kai's back.
"I don't want sympathy"
"I know, but this is a hug" He grinned against the pale skin "It isn't sympathy it's….um…nice!"
"You think this is nice?"
Rei laughed and nodded. Kai shook his head, the neko-jin was a strange character, he was so different from everyone else. He was an optimistic person while Kai was more of a pessimist. He looked down at his chest where the neko's hands were clasped. Had he made the first step to becoming real?
Rei grinned even more. Kai had a secret smile. But he had yet to see it.
So maybe, things would work out for him.
Or maybe, things would turn for the worst.
After all, their lives were not fairytales. Happily ever after was not promised, anything could happen.
Insanewelshangel: Yay an update! So did you guys like? Obviously there's been some hint dropping on the way, I'm just trying to get to the part where the plot thickens. Thanks for al my reviews!And thanks for reading and please review!